April 2, 2007 11:08 AM
Writing from Mt. Hermon
Though I promised to write from the First Annual Mt. Hermon Blogarama, I was too overwhelmed by the in-person experience to do anything in cyberspace. It was 9 at night and by then, I am pretty exhausted, which I always think I’m hiding well until three people in a row look at me with grave concern and say, “Oh, you look so tired.”
I don’t know. I think tired is just becoming my default.
There were more than twenty of us at the Blogarama and we will all produce a blog and links next week when we go home and recover from the writer marathon that is known as Mt. Hermon. As things happen here, I keep thinking, “I’ve got to blog this!” but then I am on to the next event or potential-packed conversation. So much here is about connections – all of which God seems so obviously to orchestrate.
Yesterday at lunch I sat next to Kathleen Popa and she proudly showed me her first published book, which had arrived here at the conference – Dancing in the Desert. Beautiful cover! I was so proud of her because when you know someone who wants to be published and then succeeds in a world where it’s just not that easy – well, you just feel proud to know someone who’s worked hard and deserves it.
But then there was more as Kathleen opened the book and showed me the acknowledgements page – which I had to pull out my glasses to read – with my name in the text! Kathleen had sat beside me at her first meal at her first conference at Mt. Hermon in 1999. I was thus privileged to be the first person to encourage her in her writing journey. How wonderful is that?
So much is going on and I have so little time to share. What you all will love to hear about is probably my growing in-person friendship with Mel. We’ve eaten several meals together. The way meals are set up here is like this: big round tables with eight people (remember there are 450 of us so it’s huge and noisy). Each table has the name of a faculty member on it and so I am tethered to my table and responsible for hosting all the people who sit there. It’s fun but I wish it weren’t so hard to shout across the table. Mel has sat beside me a few times, and we’ve talked a little then.
She also showed me some great ready-for-publication articles and we’ve brainstormed where she can send them. It won’t be long before she’s in print. When I read someone who makes me wish I could write like them, well…that’s a great feeling!
Since I have a car, Mel and I skipped the post-dinner meeting last night – not an easy choice since our speaker Dick Foth is just so inspirational. But we can get everything on CD after the fact.
Mel wanted to go to the ocean and since it’s been almost five years since I’ve seen the Pacific, so did I. The timing was perfect as we would be there at sunset. But we drove to Santa Cruz which was a stupid choice on my part. After parking and heading past the boardwalk and roller coasters, I was just so turned off by the ugliness of the litter and the just general coarse atmosphere – plus realizing that what we really wanted was to hear the ocean roar and Santa Cruz is in a cove with teensy lapping waves – we turned back, got in the car and headed up the coast.
Unfortunately, that stretch of coast has few really defined beaches. What you see every few miles are little clumps of cars, indicating that somewhere down there is a beach and there are a few people who know how to find it. But by then it was getting dark and I was reluctant to take a chance on them because sometimes it is quite a hike through uncertain terrain and vegetation to get there. Not to mention that some beaches are nudist or gay or both. And by then it was dark and frankly I was afraid since it was just two women and I didn’t have my bearings.
After 12 miles or so, we turned back. It was dark and we were resigned to the fact that we just weren’t going to see the ocean tonight. Not to say that the evening had been wasted, as I had asked Mel to tell me her life story and she had. How often do we get to spend that kind of time with a friend and to learn everything about them? Well, not everything, but so much about what went into shaping who they are.
So it would have been a great time anyway, but then it did get even better as we found a beach in a town called Natural Bridges. And though we couldn’t get on the beach itself – it is a state park and closed at sunset – we were able to park at a lookout and walk out through the ice plant (something we don’t have back east and which I realized I miss) to the edge of a not-too-high cliff and take in the smell and the sound and the sight of the sea. The moon was full and so it was just splendid!
When we got back after 9, we said goodnight, but then I went up to get my laptop and bring down to Central Lounge. Yesterday morning there’d been no WiFi access as we’d crashed it the night before when so many had been on at the same time. And I’d had no time at all to check anything all day, so it had been over 24 hours.
But maybe the real reason was because I was supposed to get to know Tazra, this very creative woman who’s been running around with a camera all week and who’s just released this incredible book on scrapbooking – Real Women Scrap - which is becoming very famous. (I can’t get all the links right now because I don’t have time, but will fill in when I get home). We got to talking and I got to hear another incredible story of overcoming. I oozed off to bed at 11:30, feeling filled to the brim and in total wonder at how many stories the human heart can hold.
This morning I woke early and drove to the coffee shop down the road which opens at 4 and also has WiFi. I had so many plans of all the stuff I need to write, but alas, this is the end of my time as I must get back for breakfast, critique 8 manuscripts, teach my second class, preside at meals and talk to anyone who needs to talk.
Tomorrow I will leave before dawn to drive to Oakland and catch my flight home. I leave the conference half a day early because of the flight situation going west-to-east. So much has happened at home and I’m so glad to be returning. But it has been rich and rewarding to be here.
More in the days ahead ---
Comments
After all that I'd look tired, too!
Posted by: Marie | April 2, 2007 1:07 PM
Hi Barbara,
I just thought I'd drop by and say hello. I've been reading for a while--found you via Rebecca's extensive T21 links. We have 4 children--14, 10, and 2-year-old twins, one of whom has Down syndrome.
I mentioned you and linked to your blog today in my post, so all 2 or 3 of my readers may be visiting soon :)
Posted by: beth | April 2, 2007 1:58 PM
Yeah! What she said! (Barbara and I had a blast!)
Posted by: Mel | April 3, 2007 12:13 AM
I'm popping over from Mel's place. My husband and I met at MH while on Summer staff there. My sister has worked at MH for over 12 years and just quit a week or so ago because they moved back to the bay area.
Anyways, just had to say "hello" to you! It's so fun reading about my old stomping grounds! :^D
Posted by: Nan | April 4, 2007 2:37 PM
Barbara, you are a world class encourager. I'm blessed to be your friend.
It was wonderful seeing you at Mount Hermon.
Posted by: Kathleen Popa | April 20, 2007 2:10 AM
